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Our good friend Lucas Gaszewski has created the first Rackbuildder for the ribbons of Commonwealth countries on the Internet, including the Orders and Medals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. |  |
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A website fit for heroes: 14m first world war medals recorded online For the first time the full medal records of the 5.5 million British and Commonwealth soldiers who fought in the first world war are being made available to view online, comprising a total of 14m medals. Since almost every soldier who fought was awarded at least a campaign medal, the record is comprehensive. And because most of the first world war service records were destroyed during the second, the medals record is the most extensive archive of the conflict in existence. "Quite simply, this is the most complete first world war collection of what we are calling heroes' exploits," said Simon Harper, managing director of the genealogy website Ancestry.co.uk, which has digitised the archive. "There are other records already online which capture parts of the service record, but unfortunately a lot of records no longer survive, so to have a collection this complete is extremely important." Though other organisations, notably the National Archives at Kew, allow users to order specific microfiched records for a fee, this is the first time they can be browsed online. The records take the form of colour scans of handwritten cards, on which details of the medals awarded are recorded, along with soldiers' addresses, rank, regiment and details of their service history. The cards carry references to mentions in dispatches, where appropriate. More than 50,000 records include details of covert operations. Ancestry.co.uk/military guardian.co.uk 20 Feb 08 |
Table of Contents
Medals of Senior Military Officers (King's College London Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives)
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Victoria
Cross to be Auctioned (Cpl Samuel Meekosha received the VC for gallantry in the face of the enemy
near the River Yser in France on November 19, 1915) (Apr 01)
VC is
sold for £101,200 - Photo
- More
(Corporal Samuel Meekosha Nov 1915 serving with a
West Yorkshire Regiment platoon in France)
The Victoria Cross (Hancocks & Co - Manufacturer of the VC - Describes how the VC is made)
VCs & Awards (1st Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment)
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Strange
journey of a Victoria Cross Victoria Cross No. 324 can be
found today in a vault at the Royal Green Jackets Museum in Winchester,
England. Like other specimens of the world's most famous military
decoration, the front of it bears just two words: "For
Valour." But if this one could talk, says Elizabeth Reid, its tale
would fill volumes. Ms. Reid, in a sense, is its voice. The B.C. woman
has spent 30 years researching the life and death of Timothy O'Hea, the
young Irish-born soldier who earned the award on June 9, 1866, for
extinguishing a fire that threatened to ignite a munitions car at a
train station in Danville, Que. It was the only Victoria Cross ever
given for a brave deed performed on Canadian soil and one of only
six bestowed for gallantry other than in direct battle with an enemy. O'Hea
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Edward Chapman, VC, has died aged 82 More (Awarded a VC as a corporal in the final stages of the North West Campaign in Germany
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Victorious Cross The passing of the last surviving Indian Victoria Cross winner, Umrao Singh, marked the end of an era. Vijay Mohan reports the heroic deeds of other Indian recipients of the award, cherished as an epitome of heroism and bravery. tribuneindia.com 12 Dec 05 |
An appeal to honour Victoria Cross heroes will be launched ... An appeal to honour Victoria Cross heroes is being launched. Cash is being raised for a paving slab in their memory at Westminster Abbey. The stone will lie below the tomb of the unknown soldier. Only 16 of the 1,354 heroes awarded the medal for extreme bravery in battle are still alive. The youngest is 69-year-old Australian Keith Payne. The last VCs to be awarded were posthumous to two Falklands heroes. The memorial will also honour the 400 holders of the George Cross, the highest bravery award in peacetime. A benevolent fund will be created to care for the graves of VC holders, whose medal was first awarded in the 1850s. Send cheques to: Victoria Cross & George Cross Memorial Appeal, Horse Guards, Whitehall, London SW1A 2AX. (Nov 02)
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Captain Richard Annand, VC On May 15 1940 during the Wehrmacht's lightning advance in Belgium on the River Dyle, Dick Annand, who has died aged 90, won the British army's first second world war Victoria Cross while a second lieutenant with 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. Image copyright John Attle who has informed us that Mrs Shirley Annand passed away on the 18th of January, 2006, aged 91. modoracle.com 17 Jan 05 |
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Queen honours heroes The Queen has paid special tribute to the civilian and military heroes who hold Britain's highest awards for bravery. She unveiled the first national memorial to holders of the Victoria and George Crosses at a service at Westminster Abbey in London. BBC News May 03 |
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Man receives medal on behalf of distant kin Relatives of deceased Victoria Cross recipients and the 21 living awardees were invited to Westminster Abbey for the unveiling of the special memorial. It honors the 1,354 recipients who were heroes during battle. James Munro, earned the medal in 1857 for his bravery and heroism during the Indian Mutiny to overthrow British rule in northern India. A color-sergeant in the British Army, Munro rescued his wounded captain in Lucknow, India. Munro was also badly wounded in the rescue. San Diego Union Tribune, CA - 16 May 2003 |
Old boys gather to honour VC hero Captain Archibald Bisset Smith was posthumously awarded Britain’s highest award for heroism for his conspicuous gallantry as the commander of an armed merchant ship in a First World War battle with a German warship in the mid-Atlantic in March, 1917. The Scotsman, UK - 14 Aug 2003
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Bell's bravery in attack earned VC Donald Bell, a mild-mannered but wonderfully gifted all-round sportsman, is the only professional footballer to have been awarded the Victoria Cross. Just five days after his outstanding act of bravery, at Horseshoe Trench near Contalmaison during the first week of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916, he died leading another recklessly brave assault on a key machine-gun post. Pictured here, alongside his Victoria Cross (No 478), is his helmet. Note the gaping holes - a mortar shell exploded nearby and his helmet took the full force. Although protecting his head, a jagged segment of the helmet splintered off and severed an artery in his shoulder causing him to die almost immediately. sport.telegraph.co.uk 30 Jul 04 |
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Gurkha Medal in London Auction A Victoria Cross has been auctioned for £132,250 ($243,711) by the family of a Nepalese Gurkha. The money, raised in an auction in London, will be given by the family of Honorary Captain Agansing Rai to help underprivileged children in Nepal. It is believed to be the first Victoria Cross awarded to a Gurkha to be sold. Mr Rai, who died four years ago, won the medal for his action against the Japanese in 1944. news.bbc.co.uk 22 Jul 04 |
Not Worth a VC? An SAS hero who killed 36 Iraqis to save the life of a stricken comrade could be denied a Victoria Cross - because he survived. The 36-year-old British soldier was recommended for the gallantry medal by his commanding officers after he single-handedly held off enemy attackers in a two-hour gun battle when his unit was ambushed. Despite being hit by shrapnel he then carried his shot and badly wounded colleague three miles to safety. But special forces officers fear the brave corporal will be snubbed for the highest military honour because they say senior officials usually do not not give it to survivors. THE CITATION: Whilst serving in Iraq as part of a joint special forces patrol with members of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and US Rangers, Corporal ******* was dispatched with a number of the Australian SAS to carry out reconnaissance in an area of Baghdad occupied by large numbers of foreign enemy fighters involved in acts of terrorism within Iraq. During the reconnaissance, Corporal ******* and the Australian SAS soldier came under enemy engagement consisting of heavy gunfire, involving close quarters battle, over a period of two hours. During this time the Australian SAS soldier sustained life-threatening gunshot injuries and trauma. Corporal ****** gave immediate medical assistance. Whilst still under heavy attack from RPG and machine gun fire at close quarters, Corporal ****** engaged the enemy and continued to give medical assistance to the Australian SAS soldier. Corporal *******, whilst administering medical assistance, returned fire on the enemy and called in air strike. Corporal *******, killed some 36 enemy. Whilst fighting his way out of the area, he carried the injured Australian SAS soldier on his back for three miles, before being airlifted out of the area by helicopter. Corporal ****** during the engagement sustained shrapnel injuries requiring a period of medical treatment back in UK. Corporal *********'s actions showed the highest level of valour and gallantry in the face of overwhelming number of enemy and in the rescue of the Australian SAS soldier. It is recommended to her Majesty that Corporal ********* be awarded the Victoria Cross. mirror.co.uk 9 Sep 04
Victoria Cross for bravery in Afghanistan because of the strict rules governing the medal's award. One is believed to be under consideration for the award because of his leadership under fire as a complete Sabre squadron first pulled back and then overcame the al-Qa'eda terrorists. The second was at the other end of the complex, manning an observation post and waiting to bring down aerial strikes on escaping al-Qa'eda terrorists. He is under consideration because he waited so long before ordering in the air attack that he risked being killed himself. More - 18 VCs - (Feb 02)
SAS war heroes may be denied Victoria Cross - TWO members of the SAS may be denied the
SAS fights naming of heroes (A dispute has developed between the Government and the SAS over the award of gallantry medals to soldiers who fought in Afghanistan, and whether the recipients should be publicly identified) (Jan 02)
Bravery is kept secret (The courageous exploits of the SAS and the Royal Marines’ Special Boat Service in Afghanistan will remain a secret even if individuals are awarded gallantry medals. There have been exceptional examples of bravery under fire in Operation Veritas, the British codename for the counter-terror mission in Afghanistan.) (Jan 02)
Private honour (It says a great deal about the SAS that two of its members should even be considered for the Victoria Cross for gallantry in Afghanistan. The VC remains the highest military decoration in the world. Behind every simple little cross with its maroon ribbon lies a tale of extraordinary bravery. It is heartening to think that our Armed Forces are still capable of producing men of the same calibre as past VC winners. Whatever medal is eventually deemed appropriate, the reports of how these two men conducted themselves make humbling reading) (Jan 02)
Family is reunited with 'lost' grave of VC hero The descendants of Sheffield's first-ever recipient of the Victoria Cross have been reunited with his 'lost' grave. Alan Johnson, a Barnsley market trader, did not even know he was related to Sgt James Firth, a hero of the Boer War, until he found a letter among his late father's personal effects. It said Sgt Firth was Alan's great uncle, had fought in South Africa in the 1st Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment, and had been awarded the VC in June 1901 for gallantry. He died aged 47 in 1921, was buried with military honours at Burngreave Cemetery off Scott Road. His wife Mary Florence and two of their sons were later buried alongside him. In the 85 years that followed, his grave, in the north eastern section of the cemetery close to the War Memorial, became lost and forgotten and the inscriptions on the ornate stone headstone were eaten away by years of pollution. But Mr Johnson was helped to find the grave by local historian Albert Jackson and Christine Stevens of the Friends of Burngreave Cemetery. Sheffieldtoday.net 16 Mar 04
Tribute to the bravery of regiment in First World War People living in a small French town have said "thank you" to the British Army. And in a moving tribute, they granted the Freedom of the Town to soldiers from the West Yorkshire-based Duke of Wellington's Regiment. It was to thank the regiment for their bravery 87 years earlier, as the First World War was drawing to a close. Soldiers from the Dukes - which recruits extensively in Huddersfield - were based in the small north-eastern town of Erquinghem-Lys, near Lille, where it fought during the war. The regiment lost 15 officers and 391 soldiers in fierce fighting. But they also produced a hero. Pte Arthur Poulter, a stretcher bearer, was awarded the Victoria Cross - Britain's highest gallantry medal - for venturing out alone 10 times into the German firing lines to save wounded colleagues. His bravery was also recognised by the French people. The memorial to Pte Poulter they erected in 1998 was only the second by a French town in honour of a British soldier. chuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk 16 Nov 05
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Anniversary of Bravery that won pair VC Private Abraham Acton and Private James Smith, both of the 2nd Battalion, The Border Regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross on December 21, 1914 for "conspicuous bravery". newsandstar.co.uk 24 Dec 04 |
War Hero's Daughter Views Medal for First Time Frances Clarkson didn't find out her World War Two hero father was awarded the Victoria Cross until after he had died, 31 years ago. And up until Friday, she had never laid eyes on the medal itself. But that changed when the medal awarded to Major Robert Cain for his exploits at the battle of Arnhem in September 1944 went on show at the Manx Museum for two days. Frances Clarkson, wife of BBC TV presenter Jeremy, said: 'My father donated it to the Staffordshire Regimental Museum shortly after the war and the medal they exhibit is a replica, so I have only ever seen the replica. So for the first time today, I have seen the actual medal. iomonline.co.im 8 Aug 05
Britain - New homes named after hero jack One of the very few First World War servicemen from the Redhill area to be awarded a Victoria Cross medal is to be immortalised in the name of a new housing estate. Private Jack Harvey - later a sergeant - was awarded the VC by King George V at Buckingham Palace in March 1919. He received the country's highest military honour for single-handedly charging a German trench, forcing 37 soldiers to surrender. On August 19, at noon, Harvey Court is to be officially be opened in Tilers Close, Merstham, off Nutfield Road. icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk 11 Aug 05
Hero who gave his life to save his comrades When he realised his men were about to be cut to pieces by enemy machine guns, Corporal Thomas Hunter decided there was only one thing to do - charge. In an act of supreme heroism, the 21-year-old ran full pelt across 200 yards of open ground into the teeth of intense machine gun fire and single-handedly captured a group of houses full of German troops. Six enemy soldiers surrendered to him while the others fled. Cpl Hunter had achieved an almost impossible feat. But, just as the last of his men scrambled to safety while he provided covering fire, he was hit in the head by a burst from a machine gun and killed. It was just a few months before the end of the Second World War and at home in Edinburgh the family of Cpl Hunter had begun to look forward to his return. Instead, they were informed of the heroism which took his life - and were told that as a result of his actions he was to be awarded the Victoria Cross: the only Royal Marine to receive the VC during the conflict. news.scotsman.com 26 Mar 04
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China - The Dagu Bell is back where it started, in Tianjin The marauders scurried ashore in 1900 and beached their landing craft on the muddy flats of the Pei Ho River near the treaty port of Tientsin. Sentries stationed at the southern Dagu Fort ran for the bell tower and began sounding out foreboding peals to warn locals and soldiers that, the barbarians had invaded. This time they had some warning, unlike in the 1850s, when the British came amid the shock, awe and hail of artillery shells and gunfire in the second opium war. The Dagu Bell continued to ring its urgency; the suppression of the Boxer rebellion had begun. These unforgiving armies of empire would eventually push their way to Peking, force further contracts and concessions from a yielding dynasty and humiliate the Chinese once more. And the bell, cast 16 years before as an early warning system, was carried off by jubilant British sailors from the battle cruiser HMS Orlando. The 105kg brown bell was off on an adventure that would span more than a century of turbulent history, on both sides of the globe. Private Thomas Pane was awarded the Victoria Cross - for his part in the attack on Dagu Fort in 1859, in which he was severely wounded. He swam a ditch and attempted to enlarge a hole in the wall of the fort, through which the British eventually entered and forced General Yue Wei Yi's troops to surrender. en.chinabroadcast.cn 6 Dec 05 |
How Armagh won a place in sea history Exactly 150 years ago today [21 June 2004], in an act of bravery a young seaman from Armagh saved the lives of his shipmates during a sea battle in the Crimean War. He also won for himself a place in history. For, as Richard Doherty explains, Charles Davis Lucas was to be the first recipient of a brand new medal - the Victoria Cross. belfasttelegraph.co.uk 21 Jun 04
VC sergeant's bravery is recognised at last The family of a Victoria Cross holder who served alongside Laurence of Arabia and is buried in a West Wirral cemetery have paid tribute to him after a ceremony to lay a plaque on his grave. Former soldiers stood alongside serving members of the armed forces to remember the bravery of Sgt John O'Neill who was decorated with the Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War I when he led the charge of an enemy battery. His remarkable courage and powers of leadership led to him also to being awarded the military medal and the French equivalent during the war. He served with both the Leinster Regiment and the Royal Air Force and was a sergeant in both. iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk 1 Nov 04
Honour War Hero A British soldier killed on a daring rescue mission in Iraq may receive a top bravery medal. Private Lee O'Callaghan died battling his way to save a group of stricken troops who were surrounded by rebels and faced certain death. But as his squad came under intense fire from rocket-propelled grenades and AK47s he was fatally injured. MPs and former military top brass called on military chiefs to give the 20-year-old from Walworth, South London, and his comrades awards for their courage. The calls came as the Sunday Mirror obtained details of the heroic life or death battle for the first time. We can reveal on August 9 in Basra a patrol from the 1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery was ambushed and forced to abandon their Land Rovers. sundaymirror.co.uk 22 Aug 04
Staring fear in the face The clinical technology of modern warfare inevitably means fewer eligible candidates for the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry. theherald.co.uk 6 Oct 04
Final honour for forgotten hero A Victoria Cross hero of the Charge of the Light Brigade is to be honoured in the town of his birth. A memorial will be unveiled in Tamworth to Trooper Samuel Parkes, who was only the second British soldier to receive the newly instituted highest award for bravery from Queen Victoria. He survived the Crimean War, but died in 1864, aged 49, and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in London's Great Brompton Cemetery. Now his great-greatgreat nephew, Peter Elkin, has written a book called Tamworth's Forgotten Hero and a copy will go into the archives of his regiment, the Queen's Royal Hussars, which has the medal at its museum in Eastbourne. icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk 7 Oct 04
How
Lothian troops led the charge to glory at the Battle of Balaclava
Edinburgh-born Henry Ramage - just one of the many soldiers from the Capital
and the Lothians who were involved in the Battle of Balaclava, where the
infamous Charge of the Light Brigade took place. Awarded a Victoria Cross
for his gallantry in battle, Sergeant Ramage’s story is one of many that
emerged from the conflict, which was fought during the Crimean War. Many
English, Irish and Scottish troops were awarded medals for their role in the
battle, but it was two soldiers from Edinburgh who were among the first
recipients of the prestigious Victoria Cross for their valour and gallantry
in the conflict. Sergeant Ramage, who was born in Morningside in 1827 and
served in the 2nd Dragoons, was rewarded with the medal for his bravery, but
he was not the only soldier from the Lothians to have been decorated for his
performance at Balaclava.
Sergeant-Major John Grieve, from Musselburgh, was also awarded the Victoria
Cross. He, too, was a member of the 2nd Dragoons and was one of the
cavalry troops who took part in the Charge of the Heavy Brigade against the
Russian cavalry. He saved the life of one of his commanding officers who had
been thrown from his horse and left to fend off eight Russian soldiers
single-handedly. Spotting the officer in danger, Grieve rode through the
thickest part of the battle and straight up to the Russian cavalry men -
decapitating one and dispersing the others before leading the officer to
safety. news.scotsman.com 22 Oct 04
Honour for forgotten hero A forgotten hero of the Charge of the Light Brigade was finally honoured in his Staffordshire birthplace when his descendants unveiled a memorial plaque in the church where he was baptised in 1815. Private Samuel Parkes, of the 4th Light Dragoons, from Tamworth, was awarded one of the first Victoria Crosses for saving the life of a comrade while being attacked by Cossacks during the fateful cavalry action at Balaclava 150 years ago. Private Parkes, orderly to Lord George Paget, commanding the 4th Light Dragoons, who described him as “a fine specimen of an Englishman”, had his horse shot from under him by Russian cannon during the retreat. He went to the aid of a trumpet-major whose horse had also fallen, causing him to lose his sword, and who was being attacked by two mounted Cossacks. The 6ft 2in private leapt forward and drove the Cossacks off. He and the trumpet-major, Hugh Crawford, were then intercepted by six more Cossacks. Private Parkes kept them at bay until his sword was shot out of his hand and he was taken prisoner. He was released a year later. timesonline.co.uk 25 Oct 04
Yorkshire hero's Victoria Cross goes under hammer A Yorkshireman's Victoria Cross, awarded for bravery in India, along with other medals, was sold at an auction for almost £90,000 to a private British collector. The VC was awarded to Private John Pearson, of the 8th Hussars, for gallantry under fire during an assault on a rebel position at Gwalior during the Indian Mutiny. Private Pearson, together with three other soldiers, charged into an enemy camp in June 1858 and captured two guns while under heavy fire. The 33-year-old, who was born at Seacroft, Leeds, and later lived with his wife and children in Melville Place, Halifax, served 24 years in the Army, 12 of them abroad, and also fought in the Crimean War. He spent nine years in India, retiring as sergeant. In the 1880s he and his family settled in Canada. He died in Ontario in 1892, aged 67. yorkshiretoday.co.uk 24 Nov 04
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Glasgow's ultimate war hero Private James "Jimmy" Stokes, circa 1944, who died a hero for his selfless acts of bravery.. He was hewn from the mean streets of pre-war Glasgow Gorbals, an area famed and feared for its toughness. James "Jimmy" Stokes was a typical product of the area, a young man who - to say the least - knew how to handle himself. It was that no-nonsense fighting quality that turned Jimmy Stokes into a national war hero. An incredible act of selfless bravery on the battlefield only months before the end of the Second World War cost Stokes his life but saved many men in his platoon. It also won him the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest wartime bravery honour. heritage.scotsman.com 18 Jul 05 |
A British Army private awarded the country's highest bravery medal for saving the lives of dozens of comrades in Iraq has received a more lucrative reward for his heroism, a report said on Sunday - a massive deal to publish his autobiography. Johnson Beharry, a 25-year-old Grenada-born serviceman, will receive an advance of 1 million pounds Sterling (€1.5 million, $1.8 million) for the book after a bidding war between publishers, The Sunday Times said. Beharry was presented with the Victoria Cross by Queen Elizabeth in April, the first soldier to receive the medal since two were given posthumously during the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina. He is the first living soldier since 1965. According to the report, Beharry's book, Bare Foot Soldier, will also chronicle his poverty-stricken upbringing on the Caribbean island as one of eight children, the title referring to his long walk to school as a youngster. The advance will provide a financial cushion for the private, whose future in the military is uncertain due to his injuries, the paper added. metimes.com 19 Sep 05
Highly prized Norfolk VC to be sold A Victoria Cross awarded to a Norfolk stretcher bearer hero of the Boer War is among medals set to fetch up to £120,000 at auction next month. At the Battle of Magersfontein in December 1899, King's Lynn-born Corporal John Shaul risked death to dress men's wounds under heavy fire - “as cooly and quietly as if there had been no enemy near”, according to a report in the London Gazette. Apart from the VC, Shaul's other medals - consigned for sale at specialist auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb in London on April 5 from an anonymous source - include the Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902 with three clasps, the King's South Africa Medal 1901-02 with two clasps, and Great War campaign medals.The lot, which is estimated to realise £100,000-£120, 000, includes his father's Crimea (1854-55) and China (1857-60) medals. advertiser-online.co.uk 20 Mar 06
Sir Tasker Watkins VC becomes Freeman of Cardiff Sir Tasker Watkins is to be given the Freedom of Cardiff. The 87-year-old former President of the Welsh Rugby Union will be admitted as Honorary Freeman of the City and County of Cardiff, which is the highest distinction that the Council can bestow. He will join a select list of individuals and organisations who have been awarded the accolade since its foundation in 1886, including David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela. Cardiff Council only grants the honour to people who are felt to have contributed eminent services to the city and county. At age 25, while serving with the Welch Regiment in Normandy in 1944, Lieutenant Watkins was awarded the Victoria Cross. newswales.co.uk 10 Apr 06
Revealed- Para in line for first Afghan VC A paratrooper who came under a ferocious hail of Taliban gunfire as he saved the life of a wounded American sergeant is the first British soldier serving in Afghanistan to be recommended for the Victoria Cross. Private Peter McKinley, 21, a trained first aid soldier, endured 15 minutes of sustained attack from heavy machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades as he treated the US soldier during one of the most intense battles experienced by the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment. Army commanders have described McKinley’s rescue effort in Helmand province as a “massive display of bravery” and have put his name forward to the Interdepartmental Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals. It has previously been speculated that he was in the running for the VC along with several others but it now appears he is going to be the first to receive the medal. The VC is the highest award in the British military honours system and the highest award for valour. The last soldier to receive the medal was Private Johnson Beharry who twice saved the lives of members of his unit in Iraq in 2004, making him the first living recipient of the VC since 1969. McKinley, from Manchester, was part of a 100-man quick reaction force sent by helicopter to Sangin in northern Helmand after a US supply convoy was ambushed by the Taliban in mid-June. Troops from the US 10th Mountain Division were trying to clear the area of insurgents when their convoy of 10 Humvee jeeps came under attack. The paras were flown in from the British base at Camp Bastion, 30 miles to the southwest, and fanned out around the American convoy to form a defensive cordon. But, as darkness fell, several dozen heavily armed Taliban moved in for a further assault. A burst of rocket-propelled grenades opened the new attack, seriously wounding two US troops, including a sergeant, as their Humvee was hit. As cries of “medic, medic” rang out, McKinley leapt up and sprinted 50 yards across open ground to the jeep as enemy rounds passed overhead. The US sergeant’s face was shredded by shrapnel, his eye was dislodged, and shrapnel fragments were embedded in his neck and legs. He had a broken arm and was bleeding profusely. “They were still firing at us when I ran back to the Humvee,” McKinley said afterwards. “The sergeant was in a pretty bad way, but my training just kicked in and I spent about 15 minutes looking after his wounds, stemming the flow of blood and keeping his airway clear.” Major Will Pike, commander of A Company, said: “He was very brave while completely disregarding his own safety.” Another British serviceman expected to receive a gallantry award is a Special Boat Service sergeant major who planned and led the rescue of a kidnapped British engineer northeast of Kandahar at the end of July. timesonline.co.uk 15 Oct 06
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Town campaigns for £80,000 to bring home special medal Residents in Chorley, Lancs, are banding together to raise £80,000 to bring the town's only Victoria Cross back home. For more than 60 years, the VC won by Pte William Mariner sat in a drawer in the Peak District home of his relative Bill Wignall, believed to be the soldier's great nephew. Researchers and collectors had always believed the medal, known as the "Convict VC" because Mariner, a burglar, was the only known convicted criminal to have won Britain's highest gallantry award, had been lost with him on a Flanders battlefield. But, as research by this newspaper has proved, the 32-year-old Mariner was not wearing his VC when he was blown to pieces by a shell in the early hours of July 1, 1916. On the death last December of Mr Wignall, 73, relatives found the VC in a tin box in a drawer at the small home where the bachelor had lived for most of his life. The medal has been put forward for auction at Spink in London on Nov 23, but the civic museum at Astley Hall, in Chorley, is frantically trying to raise funds to bid against medal collectors such as Lord Ashcroft, who owns 145 VCs. The medal is expected to fetch a price of between £70,000 and £80,000. Louise McCall, the curator, said: "We are the town's war memorial, too, and William Mariner was our only VC, so it seems right that we should try to buy it and display it here." telegraph.co.uk 13 Nov 06 |
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Bid to stop Victoria Cross sell-off An urgent fundraising bid has been launched to prevent a Victoria Cross won by a Chorley hero being sold off. Bosses at historic Astley Hall are leading the race against time to find the money to buy William Mariner's prized medal for the town. But they only have until November 23 to make an offer before the medal, which has a guide price of £80,000, is auctioned off at Spink in London. He was awarded the VC in 1915 for his bravery during the Second Battle of Ypres in the First World War. A citation in the London Gazette in June 1915 reads Mariner left his trench near Cambrin, France, during a thunderstorm on May 22, 1915 and crept through German wire entanglements to reach a machine gun emplacement which had been hindering British efforts. His long-lost medal was discovered by relatives in a tin box in a desk at a house in Lancashire. They stumbled across it as they cleared effects following the death of another descendant. lep.co.uk 4 Nov 06 |
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Hero Para is in line for VC A partrooper from Manchester has been nominated for the Victoria Cross for saving the life of a wounded American soldier while under fire from the Taliban in Afghanistan. Private Peter McKinley, 21, could become only the second living serviceman in 40 years to be awarded Britain's highest military honour. He endured a 15-minute barrage of grenades and machine-gun fire as he treated the US serviceman during one of the fiercest battles of the current campaign fought by the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment. manchestereveningnews.co.uk 16 Oct 06 |
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Heroes of town to be honoured Two of Burnley's most famous sons are set to be immortalised with blue plaques erected in their honour. Former England football manager Ron Greenwood, CBE, and war hero Thomas Whitham, who received the Victoria Cross in the First World War, will be recognised in the town. Mr Greenwood, who went on to manage the national team between 1977 and 1982, died at his Suffolk home earlier this year following a long illness. Mr Whitham, a soldier in the Coldstream Guards, was awarded the VC for gallantry after disabling a German machine gun on the first day of the third Battle of Ypres in July, 1917. But, despite being presented with a clock from the borough and a gold watch, he was soon left feeling humiliated by his home town. Just a year after being feted as a hero, Mr Whitham was refused work by Burnley corporation, now the council. He was believed to have been treated in an off-hand and disrespectful manner after asking for a job. The young soldier, who was born in Worsthorne in 1888, was forced to leave his young family and travel outside the area to look for work. He also had to pawn the watch and VC medal but died in poverty six years after returning from France, aged just 36. Thomas died in Oldham Infirmary in 1924 and was buried with full military honours in the Inghamite Burial Ground, Wheatley Lane, Fence. lancashireeveningtelegrapy.co.uk 15 Jun 06 |
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Private Johnson Gideon Beharry - Victoria Cross Private Johnson Gideon Beharry from 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment is the first person to receive the Victoria Cross since 1982 and the first living recipient since 1965. His citation reads in full: "Private Beharry carried out two individual acts of great heroism by which he saved the lives of his comrades. Both were in direct face of the enemy, under intense fire, at great personal risk to himself (one leading to him sustaining very serious injuries). His valour is worthy of the highest recognition. "In the early hours of the 1st May 2004 Beharry’s company was ordered to replenish an isolated Coalition Forces outpost located in the centre of the troubled city of Al Amarah. He was the driver of a platoon commander’s Warrior armoured fighting vehicle. His platoon was the company’s reserve force and was placed on immediate notice to move. As the main elements of his company were moving into the city to carry out the replenishment, they were re-tasked to fight through a series of enemy ambushes in order to extract a foot patrol that had become pinned down under sustained small arms and heavy machine gun fire and improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenade attack. "Beharry’s platoon was tasked over the radio to come to the assistance of the remainder of the company, who were attempting to extract the isolated foot patrol. As his platoon passed a roundabout, en route to the pinned-down patrol, they became aware that the road to the front was empty of all civilians and traffic – an indicator of a potential ambush ahead. The platoon commander ordered the vehicle to halt, so that he could assess the situation. The vehicle was then immediately hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades. Eyewitnesses report that the vehicle was engulfed in a number of violent explosions, which physically rocked the 30-tonne Warrior. "As a result of this ferocious initial volley of fire, both the platoon commander and the vehicle’s gunner were incapacitated by concussion and other wounds, and a number of the soldiers in the rear of the vehicle were also wounded. Due to damage sustained in the blast to the vehicle’s radio systems, Beharry had no means of communication with either his turret crew or any of the other Warrior vehicles deployed around him. He did not know if his commander or crewmen were still alive, or how serious their injuries may be. In this confusing and dangerous situation, on his own initiative, he closed his driver’s hatch and moved forward through the ambush position to try to establish some form of communications, halting just short of a barricade placed across the road. "The vehicle was hit again by sustained rocket-propelled grenade attack from insurgent fighters in the alleyways and on rooftops around his vehicle. Further damage to the Warrior from these explosions caused it to catch fire and fill rapidly with thick, noxious smoke. Beharry opened up his armoured hatch cover to clear his view and orientate himself to the situation. He still had no radio communications and was now acting on his own initiative, as the lead vehicle of a six Warrior convoy in an enemy-controlled area of the city at night. He assessed that his best course of action to save the lives of his crew was to push through, out of the ambush. He drove his Warrior directly through the barricade, not knowing if there were mines or improvised explosive devices placed there to destroy his vehicle. By doing this he was able to lead the remaining five Warriors behind him towards safety. "As the smoke in his driver’s tunnel cleared, he was just able to make out the shape of another rocket- propelled grenade in flight heading directly towards him. He pulled the heavy armoured hatch down with one hand, whilst still controlling his vehicle with the other. However, the overpressure from the explosion of the rocket wrenched the hatch out of his grip, and the flames and force of the blast passed directly over him, down the driver’s tunnel, further wounding the semi-conscious gunner in the turret. The impact of this rocket destroyed Beharry’s armoured periscope, so he was forced to drive the vehicle through the remainder of the ambushed route, some 1500 metres long, with his hatch opened up and his head exposed to enemy fire, all the time with no communications with any other vehicle. During this long surge through the ambushes the vehicle was again struck by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. While his head remained out of the hatch, to enable him to see the route ahead, he was directly exposed to much of this fire, and was himself hit by a 7.62mm bullet, which penetrated his helmet and remained lodged on its inner surface. "Despite this harrowing weight of incoming fire Beharry continued to push through the extended ambush, still leading his platoon until he broke clean. He then visually identified another Warrior from his company and followed it through the streets of Al Amarah to the outside of the Cimic House outpost, which was receiving small arms fire from the surrounding area. Once he had brought his vehicle to a halt outside, without thought for his own personal safety, he climbed onto the turret of the still-burning vehicle and, seemingly oblivious to the incoming enemy small arms fire, manhandled his wounded platoon commander out of the turret, off the vehicle and to the safety of a nearby Warrior. He then returned once again to his vehicle and again mounted the exposed turret to lift out the vehicle’s gunner and move him to a position of safety. Exposing himself yet again to enemy fire he returned to the rear of the burning vehicle to lead the disorientated and shocked dismounts and casualties to safety. Remounting his burning vehicle for the third time, he drove it through a complex chicane and into the security of the defended perimeter of the outpost, thus denying it to the enemy. Only at this stage did Beharry pull the fire extinguisher handles, immobilising the engine of the vehicle, dismounted and then moved himself into the relative safety of the back of another Warrior. Once inside Beharry collapsed from the sheer physical and mental exhaustion of his efforts and was subsequently himself evacuated. "Having returned to duty following medical treatment, on the 11th June 2004 Beharry’s Warrior was part of a quick reaction force tasked to attempt to cut off a mortar team that had attacked a Coalition Force base in Al Amarah. As the lead vehicle of the platoon he was moving rapidly through the dark city streets towards the suspected firing point, when his vehicle was ambushed by the enemy from a series of rooftop positions. During this initial heavy weight of enemy fire, a rocket-propelled grenade detonated on the vehicle’s frontal armour, just six inches from Beharry’s head, resulting in a serious head injury. Other rockets struck the turret and sides of the vehicle, incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew. "With the blood from his head injury obscuring his vision, Beharry managed to continue to control his vehicle, and forcefully reversed the Warrior out of the ambush area. The vehicle continued to move until it struck the wall of a nearby building and came to rest. Beharry then lost consciousness as a result of his wounds. By moving the vehicle out of the enemy’s chosen killing area he enabled other Warrior crews to be able to extract his crew from his vehicle, with a greatly reduced risk from incoming fire. Despite receiving a serious head injury, which later saw him being listed as very seriously injured and in a coma for some time, his level-headed actions in the face of heavy and accurate enemy fire at short range again almost certainly saved the lives of his crew and provided the conditions for their safe evacuation to medical treatment. "Beharry displayed repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour, despite intense direct attacks, personal injury and damage to his vehicle in the face of relentless enemy action." operations.mod.uk 18 Mar 05
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Piper George Findlater, VC The story of Piper George Findlater, VC winner of the Gordon Highlanders. scotshistoryonline.co.uk
D-Day bravery brought back to life Even the most ardent battlefield tourist might not spare it a second glance. But to the Green Howards, the tumbledown tram shelter on the Normandy coast is a monument to the bravery of one of the Yorkshire regiment's greatest heroes. Only a close inspection of the boarded-up tiny hut would reveal the bullet holes which mark it as a piece of D-Day history – the first thing to end up in the sights of Victoria Cross winner Stan Hollis. But the property market is no respecter of regimental pride and when a party of Green Howards returned to the beaches recently they were stunned to see the tram shelter was up for sale, and facing demolition. Fearing a poignant reminder of the Longest Day would be lost for good, senior officers clubbed together to buy it for £3,000 to help commemorate Sgt Major Hollis, D-Day's only VC winner. yorkshiretoday.co.uk 17 Jun 05
Flying hero's last letter goes under hammer A letter written by a First World War British flying ace the day before he was reportedly shot down by the Red Baron sold today for nearly £7,000. Captain Albert Ball, 20, was the first British pilot to be idolised. He shot down 43 German planes before being killed on May 7, 1917, at Annoeullin, France. A month later he was awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery. The Germans said he was shot down by their ace, Lothar von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron, although this is not accepted by British sources. The letter, which has been in the Ball family for 88 years, was sold to a private collector from New Zealand for £6,822, including buyer's premium". manchesteronline.co.uk 18 May 05
Memorial in honour of Ypres hero A memorial to a Worcester soldier who won the Victoria Cross during World War I is to be put up where he committed his heroic act. Private Frederick George Dancox, 38, won the decoration for single-handedly taking a German gun position in Ypres, Belgium, in 1917 but never came home. All leave was cancelled before he was due to return to England to receive the Victoria Cross and he died in action. news.bbc.co.uk 29 Jun 05
Recognition at Last for Town's VC Hero Forgotten First War Victoria Cross winner Arthur Knight is to be remembered by his home town of Haywards Heath nearly 90 years after he died in battle. Royal British Legion bosses are delighted that the town's first and only VC is to be honoured by the community. Brave Sergeant Knight won a posthumous Victoria Cross at 32 for his incredible courage under murderous gunfire in a battle at Villers-les-Cagnicourt, France in 1918. He had survived three years of fighting before the battle but died from wounds only hours after his heroic action. When the town's memorial at Muster Green was prepared a few years after the war his name was left off, probably because he was no longer living in the area. Sgt Knight spent the first 25 years of his life in Haywards Heath before moving to Canada in 1911. His daring exploits on the battlefield with the Calgary Highlanders led to two streets, Knight and Sussex Crescents, being named after him in Regina, Canada. midsussextimes.co.uk 9 Mar 06
The Boer War Hero Scot, his Medal for Bravery and the Mystery of his Brutal Murder A medal won by a Scottish war hero, who became the victim of a mystery murder, is to go under the hammer.The Distinguished Conduct Medal, which was awarded to Corporal John Rogers for bravery in the Boer War, is expected to fetch up to £4000. The 26-year-old got the DCM in 1901 after capturing a Boer gunnery post alongside his commanding officer, Captain WE Gordon. The captain got the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour, for his part in the action. Despite receiving the bigger award, Captain Gordon was so indebted to John, he paid him and his family £10 a year from 1902 until he died in 1941. But in 1918, after four years of combat in World War I, the then Guardsman Rogers had his throat cut in Carnoustie while on holiday. He was given a full military funeral in Glasgow, which is believed to have been attended by then minister for war Winston Churchill, who had previously written to the hero. John's family believe he was killed by a professional hitman in a bid to silence him over the truth that he was the real hero of the Boer War and should, in fact, have received a VC. Now they are auctioning his medal alongside letters from Captain Gordon to his trusted corporal, which show his debt to the young soldier. In one of the letters, to be auctioned at McTear's in Glasgow, Captain Gordon wrote: "Today is the anniversary of the day you won your VC twenty times over. "I hope that your VC will yet come and I ask you to accept £10 as a small offering of my warmest admiration for you in every way. "As long as I can afford it, I want you to accept this annual offering." John's grandson Graeme Rogers, 43, of Arbroath, said: "There are a number of mysteries surrounding my grandfather's life and death. "It makes me very proud that a member of my family served his country so bravely, even if he maybe never got the medal he really deserved. "The DCM is still a very prestigious award and, once I have sold it along with the letters, it will be the end of my hunt for the truth." McTear's valuer, John White, said he expected the medal, the letters and the murder mystery to have collectors in a frenzy when the lot goes under the hammer in Glasgow on June 27. dailyrecord.co.uk 20 May 06
Conspicuous bravery It measures just over one inch across and is usually safely stashed in a high-security vault. But the YEP has been given an exclusive peek at the original Victoria Cross of Acting Flight Sergeant Arthur Louis Aaron. The 21-year-old RAF pilot was the only Leeds serviceman to be awarded the medal during the Second World War. In guiding his Stirling aircraft back from a bombing raid on Turin in 1943 while riddled with injuries from enemy fire he became a member of an elite club who have earned the highest military honour for valour. And the medal, with its distinctive wine red ribbon, along with the story behind the act of selfless bravery which cost Flt Sgt Aaron his life, will be one of the star attractions in the new City Museum being built in the old Civic Theatre. Samantha Flavin, Leeds City Council's curator of social history, is in charge of the Leeds Gallery which takes up one floor in the £20m museum due to open in 2008. She said: "The idea behind the gallery is to show the history of the city, from the earliest settlement to the present day. "When we have objects like this medal it's a chance to put them on display in the way they should be with the incredible story behind them. "It's the personal stories behind the objects which bring them alive. "There was a copy of Flt Sgt Aaron's medal on display in the Civic Hall but this is the original and the first time it will go on public display." The pilot's father Benjamin gave his son's medal to the people of Leeds in December, 1953, after reading in the YEP that the city wanted a VC to display. But the medal, posthumously awarded on November 1, 1943, had nearly disappeared from public sight for ever when burglars took it from the Aaron family's Gledhow home in 1946 only to be sent back anonymously to Leeds police after an a public appeal. Flt Sgt Aaron won his VC on the night of August 12. Approaching Turin, his navigator was killed and other members of the crew badly injured. With two bullets lodged in his chest, his face half destroyed and right arm disabled, he still managed to help fly the aircraft back to Bone in North Africa before dying from exhaustion nine hours later. Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris, then Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command, told his parents: "In my opinion, never in the annals of the RAF has the VC been awarded for skill, determination and courage in the face of the enemy of a higher order than that displayed by your son." In 2000, a statue of Arthur Aaron was unveiled at the Eastgate fountain to mark the millennium. He is one of 46 Yorkshiremen to be awarded the VC out of 1,352 nationally. leedstoday.net 19 Aug 06
£207K For VC Medal A Victoria Cross awarded to a "giant soldier" who ripped up enemy barricades with his hands to save his comrades sold for £207,000. The medal, awarded to Sgt William Cosgrove, sold for the third highest price ever paid for a VC. Sgt Cosgrove, who was 6ft 6in and 16st, fought in Gallipoli in 1915.Braving Turkish gunfire, Sgt Cosgrove, then 17, said: "I dashed at the first barricade, heaved and strained and it came into my arms... I could not tell how many I pulled up. "A machine gun sent some bullets into me." The shells ripped into him and he never recovered from his wounds, dying in 1936. The medal was bought by a collector at Dix Noonan Webb in London. The record for a VC is £491,600. mirror.co.uk 23 Sep 06
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Britain - Pte Johnson Beharry VC is the first person since 1965 to be awarded Britain's highest award for gallantry while still alive. A 27-year-old native of Grenada, who came to Britain in 1999 and joined the British Army in 2001, he was a member of the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment when he was posted to Iraq in April 2004. He was awarded the VC on March 18, 2005. This is his story, taken from his soon to be published book, 'Barefoot Soldier'. telegraph.co.uk |
Sad plight of VC hero Beharry Victoria Cross winner Johnson Beharry has told of the pain caused by his wounds — and by his marriage split. Private Beharry, 27, who won Britain’s highest gallantry award for saving 30 comrades in Iraq, said he is tormented by his injuries. He still suffers blinding pain in his head, back, neck and shoulder from when his armoured vehicle was hit by grenades. The Grenada-born soldier said his wife Lynthia, from whom he parted last year, was “never there for me”. Stories circulated that he left Lynthia for a striking girlfriend. But he said his wife never wrote to him when he was overseas and spent little time at his hospital bedside. He also claimed relatives begged him for cash, saying: “They think that because I receive the VC I receive a wall of money. They treat me like I owe them something.” thesun.co.uk 23 Sep 06
Promotion for Grenada soldier who won Britain's top military ...
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Bid to stop Victoria Cross sell-off An urgent fundraising bid has been launched to prevent a Victoria Cross won by a Chorley hero being sold off. Bosses at historic Astley Hall are leading the race against time to find the money to buy William Mariner's prized medal for the town. But they only have until November 23 to make an offer before the medal, which has a guide price of £80,000, is auctioned off at Spink in London. He was awarded the VC in 1915 for his bravery during the Second Battle of Ypres in the First World War. A citation in the London Gazette in June 1915 reads Mariner left his trench near Cambrin, France, during a thunderstorm on May 22, 1915 and crept through German wire entanglements to reach a machine gun emplacement which had been hindering British efforts. His long-lost medal was discovered by relatives in a tin box in a desk at a house in Lancashire. They stumbled across it as they cleared effects following the death of another descendant. lep.co.uk 4 Nov 06 |
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£100,000 tag on early Crimea VC One of the earliest Victoria Crosses presented to a British Serviceman is to be sold. Commander John Bythesea's honour was presented for his bravery during the Crimean War when he led a raid to capture important dispatches sent by the Tsar of Russia. In August 1854 Commander Bythesea, later a rear-admiral, was serving on the frigate Arrogant stationed in the Baltic when he volunteered to take on the mission. He convinced the ship's captain, Hastings Yelverton, that a large force would attract too much attention and jeopardise the mission. So he recruited a lone stoker, William Johnstone, to help him. The two went ashore to an island and, after enlisting the help of a farmer, ambushed the Russian couriers. They captured the dispatches armed with a single pistol. The medal will be sold by the auctioneer Spink on April 19 and could fetch up to £100,000. telegraph.co.uk 6 Apr 07 |
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Island
soldier’s bravery earns him highest award for military valour During the 1939-1945 war
period, only 16 members of Canada’s Armed Forces were awarded
the Victoria
Cross
— eight were live awards and eight were posthumous awards.
Capt. Frederick Thorton Peters (Royal Navy) was awarded the Victoria
Cross for
the naval action on the night of Nov. 7, 1942, at Oran, Algeria,
located on the north side of Africa bordering on the Mediterranean Sea.
During the engagement, his attacking naval force was severely
shot up. Peters was later fished out of the harbour and was jailed with
medical attention. On Nov. 13, he was aboard a Royal
Australian Air Force Sunderland flying boat for return to Great
Britain. On approach to Plymouth Sound the aircraft experienced
difficulties and crashed in the water. Peters' body was not recovered.
He is a fatal battle casualty of the Second World War with no known
grave save the sea. Peters was born in Charlottetown on Sept. 17, 1889.
His father, Frederick, became premier of P.E.I. in 1891. His mother was
a daughter of John Hamilton Gray, a quite prominent citizen of the
Confederation era. The Peters family moved to British Columbia in 1898.
Capt. Peters’ death originated in the Nov. 7, 1942 night
naval action. It was a gallant attempt to secure the harbour at Oran
for Allied purpose and uses. Winston Churchill, in his usual terse, but
fully descriptive comment, stated “the finest British naval
engagement since Trafalgar.” United States armed forces were
involved in the Oran action and shortly thereafter the United States
awarded Capt. Peters its own Distinguished
Service Cross.
In order of precedence this award is the highest the United States can
bestow on a foreigner. Located on Water Street in
Charlottetown,
one will find Her Majesty’s Canadian ship, Queen Charlotte.
In
1977, the building was officially opened by the then minister of
national defence. In the foyer is a bronze plaque. The heading reads:
“This building is dedicated to the memory of Frederick Peters
V.C., D.S.O.,
R.N. theguardian.pe.ca 7 Apr 07 |
Arnhem Hero's Honour Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson's wife, Frances, has been invited to attend the launch at St John's War Memorial of a new commemorative coin depicting her father, Major Robert Henry Cain VC. The coin is one of two being produced by the Post Office and the Treasury to mark the 150th anniversary of the Victoria Cross. Major Cain was awarded his Victoria Cross for 'coolness and courage under incessant fire' during the battle for Arnhem in the Second World War. In spite of suffering multiple wounds he continued to inspire and encourage his men and destroyed half a dozen enemy tanks. He died in 1974. The second coin in the Isle of Man's Victoria Cross set depicts Queen Victoria. Approved by Buckingham Palace, the obverse of each coin carries a fine effigy of Her Majesty the Queen. Both are available in cupro nickel and proof sterling silver. iomonline.co.im 20 Oct 06
Island Honours VC Hero Major Cain iomonline.co.im 26 Oct 06
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Village honours its war hero son War hero George Peachment - Bury's forgotten soldier who sacrificed his life on the battlefield - has at last been honoured in his home village. Tottington parishioners were joined by top dignitaries, including General Sir Christopher Wallace of the King's Royal Rifle Corps Association, at St Anne's Church for a special ceremony to unveil a plaque commemorating the life of Pte Peachment - the only Bury soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross. Now the vicar of St Anne's Church, the Rev Hugh Bearn, is asking for extra recognition of Pte Peachment more than 90 years after his death. He said: "The Victoria Cross is the highest award you can bestow on anyone and it amazes me that so many people do not know the meaning of it. It amazes me that, not just in this borough, there are Victoria Cross recipients lying in unmarked graves. It is an absolute disgrace. "Peachment is the most distinguished man and was the forgotten man of Bury until last Sunday. How there is not a George Peachment Street or something similar is staggering - and that is not a criticism of Bury as it is the same across the country." Pte Peachment was just 18 when he was killed in the First World War while trying to save his company commander under intense enemy fire. thisislancashire.co.uk 26 Oct 06 |
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Heroic 16 year old received the highest honour for bravery in ... One 16-year-old boy stood fatally wounded on the deck of the HMS Chester, quietly awaiting orders as his shipmates lay dead around him. It was May 31, 1916, the day of the Battle of Jutland, and the British ship had been hit 17 times by German cruisers. The boy on the deck was John Travers "Jack" Cornwell, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for his bravery after his story became the talk of the country. The Battle of Jutland began on May 31 as the German Navy tried to break the British blockade of the North Sea. The Chester was set to fight, and Jack's job was setting the sights of one of the ship's guns. But with four ships firing at it, the Chester was outgunned, and Jack's unit was hit before it could be brought into firing position. He received a serious chest wound, but an eyewitness described him standing in an exposed position, alone at his post, awaiting orders from the bridge. The gun is now in the Imperial War Museum. The battle lasted two days and was the only full-scale battle between the two fleets during the war. As both sides claimed victory, the Chester limped back to Britain and Jack was taken to hospital in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, where he died of his wounds on June 2. thisislocallondon.co.uk 5 Oct 06 |
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Troops in line for VCs after Taliban battles British commanders in Afghanistan have recommended that their men receive almost 180 awards for gallantry, including "several" Victoria Crosses, following the most intense fighting since the Korean War. The awards are to be rushed through for Christmas. Almost 100 of the awards, which range from the VC to being mentioned in dispatches, will go to the 650 men of 3 Bn The Parachute Regiment, which has experienced the bulk of fighting against Taliban insurgents in the southern Afghan province of Helmand during the last three months. Other awards have been recommended for the crews of Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters who have landed and rescued troops under withering fire, and the two-man crews of Army Air Corps Apache helicopter gunships. Officers are thought to have recommended about half a dozen VCs, mainly for the troops of 16 Air Assault Brigade. telegraph.co.uk 28 Sep 06 |
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War hero launches bravery stamps A Scottish war hero has launched a set of stamps to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Victoria Cross. Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank is the only living Scottish holder of the bravery award. The 86-year-old, from Aberdeen, unveiled the Royal Mail stamps at the Gordon Highlanders Museum in the city. news.bbc.co.uk 19 Sep 06 |
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A memorial is being unveiled to a World War I hero, who was known ... A memorial is being unveiled to a World War I hero, who was known as the "Lost Victoria Cross" because his grave was unknown for 50 years. L/Cpl Alfred Wilcox, from Birmingham, won the VC for his bravery in killing 12 enemy soldiers in 1918 but was forgotten after his burial in 1954. A memorial is being unveiled in Aston Parish Church graveyard after his grave was finally traced. news.bbc.co.uk 12 Sep 06 |
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Love, loyalty and courage - 150 years of VC The "love, loyalty and comradeship" which inspires great acts of bravery was celebrated in a service at Westminster Abbey yesterday to mark the 150th anniversary of the Victoria Cross. Eight of the 12 surviving recipients of Britain's highest military honour, including Private Johnson Beharry, who last year became the first living recipient of the VC for 40 years, were present. news.scotsman.com 27 Jun 06 |
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Plain medal still honours rare mettle, 150 years on
The service and the reception at St James’s Square were attended by
8 of the surviving holders of the VC and 22 of the 24 surviving
holders of the GC. The surviving 12
Private Johnson Beharry, of the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, who saved the lives of 30 comrades in two individual acts of heroism in al-Amarah, southern Iraq, in May and June 2004 Havildar Bhan Bhagta Gurung, of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles, who cleared four enemy foxholes on his own in Burma in March 1945 Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank, of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No 210 Squadron, who attacked a German U-boat in July 1944, while piloting a Catalina flying boat, persisting with the assault despite being seriously wounded. Lieutenant-Commander Ian Fraser, of the Royal Naval Reserve, who commanded a midget submarine in a daring raid on the Japanese cruiser Takao in July 1945 Private Edward Kenna, of the 2/4th Battalion Australian Imperial Force, who, under fire, destroyed a Japanese machinegun post in New Guinea in May 1945 Havildar Lachhiman Gurung, of the 8th Gurkha Rifles, who single-handedly fought off wave after wave of enemy attacks on his position in Burma in May 1944 Warrant Officer Class 2 Keith Payne, of the Royal Australian Infantry Regiment, who defended his men and rescued wounded while under fierce attack by North Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War in May 1969 Captain Rambahadur Limbu, of the 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles, who saved his men during an enemy attack in Sarawak, Malaysia, in November 1965 Private William Speakman-Pitts, of The Black Watch, who led a grenade charge against the enemy in the Korean War in November 1951 Lieutenant Tulbahadur Pun, of the 6th Gurkha Rifles, who charged a Japanese position on his own in June 1944 in Burma Lieutenant Sir Tasker Watkins, of The Welch Regiment, who charged two enemy posts in August 1944 Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Wilson, of The East Surrey Regiment, attached to the Somaliland Camel Corps, who managed to beat off an enemy attack in Somaliland in August 1940 timesonline.co.uk 27 Jun 06 |
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Gurkha war hero's agony Museum chiefs have broken a Gurkha war hero’s heart by refusing to let him see his treasured Victoria Cross one final time. Fearless Lieutenant Tulbahadur Pun, 89, won the nation’s top medal for bravery during World War II. Aged just 21, he single-handedly stormed two Japanese armed positions with his Bren Gun blazing from his hip after his comrades were wiped out in Burma. Now the ageing hero — who lives in poverty in Nepal — has begged his old Army regiment’s museum to send him his medal so he can wear it with pride before he dies. But museum bosses have refused, saying the VC no longer belongs to him. Tulbahadur — one of only 12 winners of the VC still alive — is too unwell to travel to the UK. thesun.co.uk 15 Jul 06 |
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150 Years Of The Victorian Cross The 150th anniversary of Victoria Cross, instituted by Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856 as an award for servicemen who had performed an act of valour. To celebrate the creation of the Victoria Cross (VC), The National Archives, Kew, has made the VC registers available online at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/victoriacross.asp. Four War Office documents have been digitised and placed on The National Archives website to mark the 150th anniversary of this prestigious award. The documents include the original royal warrant as signed by HM Queen Victoria on 29 January 1856 and three registers of recipients of the awards from 1856-1944. A fifth document, a Cabinet file, listing recipients from the institution of the award in 1856-1946, has been included in the project and is also now available online. The digitisation of the files means that people can now log onto the website and search the registers for people who received the Victoria Cross by their name, rank, regiment, date of act of bravery and campaign. In some instances the registers contain detailed notes on when the award was presented and by whom. 50connect.co.uk 29 Jan 06 |
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Plan to honour Rorke's Drift hero This weekend marks the 127th anniversary of the battle - re-enacted in the 1964 film Zulu - in which 145 British soldiers held off a Zulu army. And a campaign is under way in Pembrokeshire to remember one of the Rorke's Drift defenders - Private Thomas Collins, from Haverfordwest. The defenders of Rorke's Drift were awarded 11 Victoria Crosses - with seven to a single regiment, although Private Collins was not among those honoured. news.bbc.co.uk 22 Jan 06 |
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Author explodes myth of the gunmetal VC The belief that every Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour, is made from cannon captured during the Crimean War is nothing more than a myth, says a book marking the 150th anniversary of the medal. John Glanfield, a historian and author of Bravest of the Brave, to be published next month, claims to have exposed the truth about the metal used to make the awards. It has long been believed that all 1,351 Victoria Crosses awarded have been made of bronze taken from two Russian cannon captured at the siege of Sebastopol and kept in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. The priceless lump of metal, of which there remains enough for a further 85 crosses, is kept in a vault at the Royal Logistic Corps in Donnington, Shropshire. It can be removed only under guard. By studying historical documents and scientific analysis, Glanfield claims that the Woolwich cannon were not used until 1914, 58 years after the first Victoria Crosses had been produced. He also says that the precious ingot disappeared during the Second World War, so a different metal was used for five crosses awarded between 1942 and 1945. In the book, he says: "No aspect of the history of the Victoria Cross has been so hotly debated or disputed as the origin of the metal from which it is made. "The truth has become fogged by time, myth and misinformation. Part of the myth is that every cross has been cast from the two [Woolwich] cannon." The cannon in Woolwich are Chinese-made, although they have often previously been cited as Russian, and Glanfield says that their origin is an "impenetrable mystery". He said there was no evidence that they had been captured at Sebastopol, the last big battle of the Crimean War, as was often stated. "The Chinese pieces were not the only, or even the first, to contribute VC metal," he said. "An earlier gun provided bronze from the start. "When the metal ran out in December 1914, the Chinese cannon took over. The football-size cascabels [knobs] were sawn off at the neck and melted down for VC production, starting not in 1856 but nearly 60 years and some 560 crosses later." telegraph.co.uk 28 Dec 05 |
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Soldier honours family hero A 17-year-old soldier went on parade carrying the Victoria Cross awarded posthumously to his courageous great great uncle 87 years ago. Junior Cpl Carl Clamp in the Scottish Borders, was graduating from the Army Foundation College, in Harrogate, which he joined a year ago. When he told the staff about the heroics in the First World War of great great uncle Cpl William Clamp from Motherwell, they arranged for him to visit the Green Howards Museum in Richmond, which now owns the medal. The museum agreed to allow Jnr Cpl Clamp to carry the medal with him on parade in Harrogate, although military protocol prevented him from wearing it while in uniform. According to an Army spokesman Cpl William Clamp was 25 years old and with the 6th Yorkshires when he won the Victoria Cross for his actions during the advance at Poelcapelle, near Passchendaele, in Belgium on October 9, 1917. icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk 20 Aug 05 |
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Soldier who was awarded Victoria Cross is to separate from childhood sweetheart Johnson Beharry, the first British soldier to win the Victoria Cross since the Falklands conflict, is to separate from his wife Lynthia, the couple announced yesterday. They blamed the stress of his experiences in Iraq and the wounds he suffered in his rescue of fellow members of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment from mortal danger, for which he won his VC. telegraph.co.uk 9 May 05 |
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Queen Awards VC to Iraq Hero Iraq war hero Private Johnson Beharry has been awarded the Victoria Cross by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Pte Beharry, 25, who was twice injured saving colleagues under enemy fire, is the first recipient of the UK's highest valour award since the Falklands War. news.bbc.co.uk 27 Apr 05 |
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Britain
to issue first Victoria Cross in 23 years for Iraq soldier
A
British soldier who braved gunfire to rescue dozens of comrades in
southern Iraq is to receive the first Victoria Cross. Private
Johnston Beharry, an armoured vehicle driver from the Princess of Wales
Royal Regiment, has been approved for the honour by the Ministry of
Defence. The 24-year-old, who was born in Grenada in the West Indies,
was part of a British convoy attacked in Al-Amarah, southern Iraq, in
May last year. He smashed his burning vehicle through a barricade to
force an escape route and dragged free his unconscious platoon commander
before returning under heavy gunfire a number of other times to rescue
more wounded. A few days later, Beharry saved more British troops during
another ambush, suffering head injuries himself and being flown back
home. khaleejtimes.com 12
Mar 05 |
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Hero’s sister kept in dark Pt Beharry, who is being treated in a military hospital in Birmingham, awoke from a two-week coma last week amid calls for him to receive the highest military honour for gallantry, the Victoria Cross, last awarded 22 years ago. The 24-year-old is reported to have risked his own life to save 30 comrades from two terrifying ambushes in Iraq. His first heroic display is thought to have happened in May when he led a convoy of troop carriers safely through an ambush despite his vehicle being on fire and having a bullet lodged in his helmet. He then went back to the burning vehicle and pulled his commander from the flames while under heavy gunfire. It has also been reported that three weeks ago, in a second ambush, a rocket grenade exploded close to his face but Pt Beharry managed to manoeuvre the carrier to safety before passing out. His actions saved the lives of the crew and his commander for a second time. croydonguardian.co.uk 8 Jul 04 |
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VC Demand for Squaddie Comrades of a squaddie who saved the lives of up to 30 soldiers in Iraq have reportedly called for him to be given the Victoria Cross. They want troop carrier driver Private Johnston Beharry to receive Britain's highest award for bravery for his heroic actions. The Londoner saved up to 30 soldiers by leading their carriers to safety during a firefight after a bullet hit his helmet, according to The Sun. He then pulled his unconscious commanding officer from a burning vehicle while under fire from Iraqi rebels. The 22-year-old later saved more lives in a second deadly ambush despite receiving head wounds in a grenade blast. "His deeds are truly breathtaking," A military source told The Sun. "For the first time in 22 years there may be a case for the ultimate medal." A Military of Defence spokesman could not say whether Pte Beharry had been recommended for the VC. "We don't comment on individual cases until they are awarded. We look at recommendations on their merits," he said. sky.com 1 Jul 04 |
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Young soldier in line for Iraq Victoria Cross A 19-year-old soldier is to be recommended for the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest gallantry decoration, after driving his blazing vehicle through an ambush, saving the lives of its injured commander and crew in southern Iraq last month. During the battle that lasted several hours, men of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders carried out the first bayonet charge by British troops since the Falklands conflict 22 years ago. The young soldier is believed to be from the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, whose units have been supporting the Argylls around Amara in southern Iraq. No Victoria Crosses have been awarded since those won by Staff Sergeant Ian MacKay and Lt-Col Herbert Jones in the Falklands in 1982. According to sources in Iraq the young driver's performance fulfils all the criteria.The name of the young soldier is being withheld by the Army. news.independent.co.uk 13 Jun 04 |
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Red Cap Hero's VC Snub A heroic Red Cap killed in an Iraq bloodbath will not receive the VC because witnesses to his bravery were not British. RMP Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, was shot dead in cold blood a year ago with five colleagues after spurning the chance to escape a deadly firefight with 400 rioters.Iraqi police and civilians at the scene told how the brave sergeant fought hand to hand to protect his colleagues in a heroic last ditch stand.The Army has previously made it clear the six men will not receive bravery awards because the evidence from the Iraqi witnesses was thought to be unreliable. It has now emerged that Sergeant Hamilton-Jewell, of Chessington, Surrey, was in line to be recommended for the highest bravery honour of all. mirror.co.uk 21 Jun 04 |
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For Valour Royal Marines from Devon are embarking on a pilgrimage to the graves of war heroes who were awarded the highest medal of gallantry. Over the course of five weeks, they will travel thousands of miles to mark the 150th anniversary of the first Victoria Cross being awarded to a Royal Marine. thisisexeter13 Feb 04 |
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Index
of all Victoria Crosses held by regimental museums and miscellaneous
organisations, world-wide. ( If a VC recipient's name
does not appear, then the VC is not publicly held ).
Medals of Major-General Sir John McNeill VC GCVO KCB KCMG - 107th Regiment (Bengal Infantry) |
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Tribute plan for war hero after 150 years A forgotten war hero is set to be finally
remembered in his East Lothian home town nearly 150 years after his
death. Private Same (John) Shaw was awarded the Victoria Cross for an
act of gallantry during a British Army campaign against the Indian
Mutiny in 1858. news.scotscman.com 9 Oct 03 |
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Gallantry
awards for British troops A
Victoria Cross has been awarded posthumously to a Corporal who
saved seven comrades in Afghanistan. The VC, the highest
military honour, was given to Cpl Bryan Budd, 29, from the 3rd
Battalion the Parachute Regiment, who was killed as he assaulted a
Taleban held position. On 27th July, Cpl Budd's section was on a
patrol when they identified and engaged two enemy gunmen on the roof
of a building in the centre of Sangin. Without regard for his own
safety, he led an assault where the enemy fire was heaviest. His
gallant action allowed a wounded soldier to be evacuated to safety
where he subsequently received life-saving treatment. A few weeks
later, on 20 August, Cpl Budd's section was again engaged in heavy
fighting near Sangin District Centre. With fire pinning down his
section and two of his men wounded, Cpl Budd decided to assault
forward on his own. Although wounded himself, he rushed the enemy
position, firing his weapon and killing a number of enemy fighters.
Inspired by his example, the rest of the platoon pushed forward. Cpl
Budd's body was later found surrounded by the bodies of three enemy
fighters. His award is the first posthumous VC to be awarded
since the Falklands conflict over 20 years ago. Corporal Mark Wright,
also of the 3rd Battallion the Parachute Regiment has been honoured
with a posthumous George Cross for his outstanding gallantry in
Helmand Province on September 6 2006. After witnessing a fellow
soldier step on a landmine, Corporal Wright entered the minefield
despite the risk to himself. Whilst giving assistance to the wounded
soldier and attempting to clear a landing site for a helicopter
evacuation, further landmines were detonated, causing very severe
injuries to a number of personnel. Cpl Wright ordered all
non-essential personnel out of the minefield as he sought to take
control. However, Cpl Wright caught in a blast as he made his way to a
helicopter which had been called in to assist was fatally injured. 4ni.co.uk
14 Dec 06
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Rescue hero in line for gallantry award As bullets and rockets flew around him, L/Cpl Oliver "Teddy" Ruecker had to make a choice: to keep his head down or risk his life to save one of his comrades. What 20-year-old L/Cpl Ruecker did could now lead to him receiving the military's highest decoration, the Victoria Cross. His company commander described his actions as "outstanding heroism" but there was no indication of the drama to come when the unit left the British base in the town of Sangin in Afghanistan's Helmand province. An intelligence briefing said there was very little threat of enemy attack but within two minutes the column of Viking armoured vehicles found itself under an intense barrage while trapped in a strip of land 30ft wide overlooked by high, thick-walled compounds. From the parapets Taliban fighters bombarded the 100 men of B Company, the Royal Anglians with rocket-propelled grenades, AK47 gunfire and a well-positioned 12.7mm DshK heavy machinegun. In the crosshairs of this maelstrom was the Viking of L/Cpl Ruecker. When an RPG round detonated on the rear cabin it ignited the cans of diesel stored on the roof. Cpl Dean Bailey, who was standing in the turret, was engulfed in flames that also poured into the cramped interior, threatening the half-dozen soldiers inside. With 30lb of plastic explosive on board there was no choice but to abandon the vehicle. L/Cpl Ruecker was the first man out and sprinted down an alley to find cover. But he ran into a Taliban fighter who was apparently delighting in the successful attack. "Luckily for me he wasn't concentrating on the battle," the trained sniper told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "He was carrying an AK47 so I drew my pistol and killed him, emptying my magazine of 13 rounds from 10 yards away." L/Cpl Ruecker then attempted to get into another Viking but it was full and it was then he realised that Cpl Bailey was missing. Looking back at the blazing Viking he realised that his comrade was still inside and at any moment the flames could ignite the plastic explosive. As he watched, another three RPG rounds hit the vehicle. It took just a second for the soldier to decide to return to the burning wreck. "I was scared s***less," he said. "When I got to the Viking I could not see much because of the thick black smoke. I found Deano lying on the floor very badly injured and barely conscious." The corporal had taken the brunt of an RPG round that had torn off most of his left arm. He also took a bullet in the chest and head after throwing off his burning body armour and was suffering a collapsed lung. "I made a quick assessment and realised I had to get him the hell out of there. I grabbed hold of Deano by his one good arm and began dragging him along the ground shouting everything was going to be fine." The soldier then braved a furious barrage of bullets and rockets as he dragged his friend to a nearby Viking. A medic helped him get Cpl Bailey inside the vehicle but L/Cpl Ruecker's ordeal was not over yet as he had to run another 100 yards to another Viking because there was no room. Major Aston said he would write a citation for the soldier following his actions on May 17. "I have not decided yet whether it will be for one of the highest awards if not the highest," he said. telegraph.co.uk 10 Jun 07 |
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VC veteran Bhanubhakta dies Bhanbhagta Gurung won his Victoria Cross in Burma in 1945. His action was the culmination of a series of extraordinarily gallant actions by this soldier of quite exceptional courage, yet it occurred while he was in disgrace, albeit unjustly. The action for which he was awarded the VC followed 25th Indian Division’s landing at Ru-ywa on the Burma coast, an operation designed to divert Japanese attention away from General Sir William Slim’s main offensive towards Mandalay in February 1945. 25th Division’s advance to the Irrawaddy through the An pass was fiercely opposed by part of the Japanese 54th Division holding a series of hill features, including one code-named “Snowdon East”, near the village of Tamandu. 3rd/2nd Gurkha Rifles fought for two days to take and hold Snowdon but might have been denied their victory had it not been for Bhanbhagta. The battalion’s supporting artillery had to cease firing when the leading rifle platoons began to incur casualties from supporting rounds falling short, because of crest clearance difficulties. The section of which Bhanbhagta was a member was then pinned down by machinegun fire, and a Japanese sniper in a tree added to the menace. Unable to get the required rifle elevation from the prone position, Bhanbhagta stood up and shot the sniper dead. After that the section advanced until, 20 yards from the objective, it was held up again. Without waiting for orders and shouting for the rest of the section to follow, Bhanbhagta charged towards the top of the hill. He threw two grenades into an enemy fox hole directly above him, killing the two occupants before rushing to the next enemy trench which he cleared with the bayonet. Savage hand-to-hand fighting then ensued with no quarter given. Bhanbhagta cleared two more foxholes single-handed. For a fifth time he went forward alone and leapt on the roof of a bunker to throw two phosphorous grenades into the slit. Two burning and partially blinded Japanese ran out and he killed them both with his kukri. Crawling into it, he crushed the surviving machine gunner’s head with a rock, as there was insufficient room to swing his kukri. He then organised a Bren light machinegun to fire from the bunker, and his leadership of this small party was largely responsible for repelling the subsequent enemy counter-attack. Snowdon East was taken but Bhanbhagta’s company lost half its men dead and wounded; 66 Japanese dead were counted. Bhanbhagta was awarded the Victoria Cross and the 2nd Gurkha Rifles the battle honour “Tamandu” to add to their many others. The King of Nepal awarded him the Medal of the Order of the Star of Nepal. His three sons followed him into the 2nd Gurkha Rifles and are now pensioners. Bhanbhagta Gurung, VC was a smiling, hard-swearing, gallant and indomitable peasant soldier who, in a battalion of very brave men, was one of the bravest. His death leaves 11 surviving holders of the Victoria Cross. kantipuronline.com 4 Mar 08 |
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North War hero’s medals go up for sale A magnificent seven medals awarded to a North war hero and county cricketer who was part of the most decorated family of the First World War are expected to sell for up to £3200 at an auction. The medals, including a DSO — Distinguished Service Order — belonged to the late Sir Thomas Andrews Bradford, part of the legendary Fighting Bradfords who lived at Aden Cottage, Durham. A spokesman for auctioneers Spink, who are selling them in London said: “The Bradfords were the most decorated family of the Great War. “There were four brothers and between them they were awarded two Victoria Crosses, one DSO, two Military Crosses and were thrice mentioned in despatches.” sundaysun.co.uk 20 Apr 08 |
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Lord Ashcroft pays record price for 'ultimate' Victoria Cross - The "ultimate" gallantry medal – the only double Victoria Cross from the Great War – has been bought by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft for a world record price of nearly £1.5 million. The
story behind the gallantry medals of Captain Noel Chavasse is deeply
moving: he was awarded the second of his VCs after dying from
battlefield injuries in 1917. Since then at least 12 memorials have
been erected worldwide in his honour – more than for any other
recipient of the Commonwealth's most prestigious bravery award. Captain
Chavasse's service and gallantry medals were left by his family decades
ago to St Peter's College, Oxford. The college has now sold the medals
to Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire Tory peer. According to college
sources, the price was "close to £1.5 million", easily topping
the previous world record for a medal, rumoured to be a private sale
worth £1 million. Captain Chavasse received one of only three VCs
and Bar – or double VCs – that have been awarded since the
medal was created by Queen Victoria in 1856, initially to honour
servicemen from the Crimean War. The Chavasse medals are now
guaranteed place of honour in the new Lord Ashcroft Gallery, which will
open at the Imperial War Museum next year and which is being built with
a £5 million donation from the Tory peer. The
gallery will house Lord Ashcroft's collection of VCs, which he started
to build up in 1986. It is now the largest collection of VCs in the
world and is estimated to be worth at least £30 million. VCs and
George Crosses already owned by the museum will also go on display in
the gallery. Captain
Chavasse was a remarkable character, whose academic and athletic
achievements came close to matching his wartime courage.
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Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Wilson, VC Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Wilson, who died on December 23 aged 96, was awarded a Victoria Cross for his gallant defence against a large Italian force during the East African campaign in August 1940; the award was originally posthumous since Wilson was thought to have been killed in action. When the Italians, with 350,000 troops in Abyssinia and Eritrea, invaded British Somaliland, which was defended by 1,500 men, they threatened control of the entrance to the Red Sea and British positions from Aden to Suez. As they headed for Berbera, on the coast, a meagre Allied force began to search for a defensive position. Most of the terrain was flat, but parallel to the sea lay the rugged Golis hills, with an 8,000ft pass, where the Allies chose to make their stand. Wilson, an acting captain with the Somaliland Camel Corps, was given the vital task of siting the corps' machine guns on four small hills of the Tug Argan Pass – named Black, Knobbly, Mill and Observation – though they were too widely separated to cover their entire vista. Placing himself on Observation, which commanded the widest arc of fire, he was tremendously exposed on a position well-known to Italian truck drivers who had driven past it daily before the declaration of war. telegraph.co.uk 29 Dec 08 |
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Britain - Five war medals belonging to a Scottish sailor have sold for a record price at auction. George MacKenzie Samson from Carnoustie in Angus was awarded the decorations, including a Victoria Cross, for his bravery during World War One. In 1915, during the Gallipoli landings, he helped rescue wounded men despite coming under heavy fire. The medals were expected to fetch £180,000 at most but were bought by Lord Ashcroft for £247,000. The group of medals, comprising the Victoria Cross, the 1914-15 Star, the War medal, the Victory medal, and French Medaille Militaire, broke the price record for a British sale. Seaman Samson was shot about 19 times during the Gallipoli landings, leading the surgeon treating him to wonder whether he would pull through. |
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War hero Gurkha wins visa U-turn Old and frail, Gurkha war hero Tul Bahadur Pun was banned from coming to live in the country he gallantly served. But following a Daily Mail campaign he can now move to Britain for the expert medical care he so badly needs. A surprise Government U-turn has reversed a previous decision to deny the veteran a settlement visa. Mr Pun, 84, was awarded the Victoria Cross - the highest honour for military gallantry - after singlehandedly storming Japanese positions during the Second World War. But despite his bravery, he was banned from coming to live here because he did not have 'strong ties with the UK'. The decision prompted outrage, with more than 12,000 signing a petition on the Downing Street website calling on Tony Blair to 'give all Gurkha servicemen and their immediate families, past and present, British citizenship'. And a week after Mr Pun's plight was highlighted by the Mail, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne agreed he deserved to be honoured for services to Britain. Mr Pun has heart problems, asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure and needs daily medication not always available in Nepal. At the moment the Gurkha, who receives a £132 a month Army pension, has to endure a one-day walk, carried in a basket, from his home to the Gurkha camp at Pokhara to collect medicine. His solicitor Martin Howe welcomed the decision. He said: 'We are absolutely delighted he has been given the entry visa he should have been given months ago. Tory Peer and Victoria Cross expert Michael Ashcroft described the decision as a 'victory for common sense'. Lord Ashcroft, who has a collection of 150 VCs, said: "I hope I will be able to invite him for tea at the House of Lords, where I'm sure peers will be pleased to meet him." Mr Pun earned his VC in Burma on June 23, 1944 after nearly all his comrades had been killed. Firing a Bren machine gun from the hip and running through ankle-deep mud, he ignored 'shattering' Japanese fire to storm a machine gun positions. His official citation read: "His outstanding courage and superb gallantry in the face of odds which meant almost certain death were most inspiring and beyond praise." His valour won royal admirers and Mr Pun was invited to the Queen's coronation and also had tea with the Queen Mother. Announcing the decision to grant Mr Pun settlement rights Mr Byrne said: "The circumstances surrounding Tul Bahadur Pun's case are clearly exceptional, and in the light of this the Home Secretary, John Reid, and I have reviewed the case and made the decision to grant Mr Pun a settlement visa immediately. "This decision was not taken lightly and reflects the extraordinary nature of this case, in particular Mr Pun's heroic record in service of Britain. which saw him awarded the VC. It is entirely right that this record should not only be recognised but honoured." As for Mr Pun, his solicitor said it would be fitting if he was able to reach the UK by June 23, for the 63rd anniversary of his winning the VC. Praising the 'groundswell of support' Mr Howe added: "The average British serviceman serves between four and five years, the average Gurkha serves 15 to 16 years. They really do earn the respect of all their fellow soldiers and the British people." thisislondon.co.uk 2 Jun 07 |
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The ultimate site for information on the George Cross Marion Hebblethwaite |
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The George Cross (64 Baker Street)
George Cross awarded - On 23 November 1999, HM The Queen awarded the George Cross to the Royal Ulster Constabulary. This is only the 2nd time there has been a 'collective' award of this decoration, the first having been to Malta in 1942. The citation reads: - "For the past 30 years, the Royal Ulster Constabulary has been both the bulwark against, and the main target of, a sustained and brutal terrorist campaign. The Force has suffered heavily in protecting both sides of the community from danger - 302 officers have been killed in the line of duty and thousands more injured, many seriously. Many officers have been ostracised by their own community and others have been forced to leave their homes in the face of threats to them or their families. "As Northern Ireland reaches a turning point in its political development this award is made to recognise the collective courage and dedication to duty of all of those who have served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and who have accepted the danger and stress this has brought to them and their families." (Ref: Megan - My Delphi).
Eyon Hawkins, GC has died aged 81 (Telegraph) More (Guardian) - More (Independent) (Awarded the George Cross for his courageous leadership in rallying crew members in the water after they had jumped from their torpedoed ship) (Dec 01)
Vandals steal lifeboatman memorial Vandals have stolen a memorial to Cromer's legendary lifeboat coxswain Henry Blogg. Town officials and lifeboatmen expressed their shock and disappointment yesterday after a replica bust of the most honoured man in Royal National Lifeboat Institution history was taken from its granite plinth. The life-size bust of Mr Blogg, who was coxswain from 1907 to 1947 and saved the lives of 873 seafarers, was taken from its position on Cromer cliffs some time between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning. The memorial, detailing the lifeboatman's impressive 55 years of service and honours of gold and silver medals for gallantry, the George Cross and British Empire Medal, has stood in North Lodge Park for more than 40 years. EDP24 25 Oct 03
Display Honours Fireman's Bravery A new display commemorating the bravery of the only London fireman to be awarded the George Cross during the Second World War has opened at the Jewish Museum. Several members of Harry Errington’s family attended the event in Camden, 63 years after King George VI presented him with the prestigious accolade for rescuing two firemen from a bombed air raid shelter in Soho. Twenty people died after the building collapsed and despite being knocked unconscious, the Auxiliary Fire Service volunteer dragged one colleague out before, suffering from severe burns, returning to rescue another. The George Cross and four other medals were bequeathed to the museum. totallyjewish.com 19 Jan 06
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Big price expected for wartime bravery medal A George Cross awarded to an Australian after World War II is expected to fetch up to $120,000 when it is auctioned in Melbourne in May. Tim Pitcher, of Sotheby's, said the medal had been awarded to Lieutenant George Gosse, of the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve, after the disposal of mines in Bremen Harbour, Germany, in May 1945. The Age, Australia - 24 Apr 2003 |
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Signalman Kenneth Smith GC The George Cross of Signalman Kenneth Smith GC has recently been acquired by the Royal Signals Museum, Blandford. ‘On the night of 10 January 1945, on the Island of Ist in the Adriatic (off the coast of Yugoslavia), Signalman Smith was a member of a patrol of the Long Range Desert Group, which was attacked by saboteurs, who laid time-bombs in the vital houses of the Island. After hearing some shots, Signalman Smith entered the Wireless Room and found one such bomb on the table. Realising that there were a number of partisans in the room and young children elsewhere in the house, Signalman Smith immediately picked up the bomb, which was ticking. He intended to move it to a place of safety behind a nearby wall, but he had only gone a few yards outside the house when the bomb exploded and he was blown to pieces. There is no doubt that Signalman Smith’s action certainly saved the lives of many of his comrades, partisans and civilians, and that he showed superb courage and complete disregard for personal safety in lifting a time-bomb which was already ticking when he knew that it might explode at any minute’. |
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Hero's Medal withheld from sale Detectives were today due to ask the specialist auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb to withdraw the George Cross from tomorrow's sale in London. The medal was awarded posthumously to Ordinary Seaman Bennett Southwell, from Leicester, during the Second World War. He was killed defusing a German parachute mine in London during the Blitz in 1940 and is buried in Gilroes Cemetery. The medal, expected to fetch around £22,000 at auction, disappeared at a fete at Corah's factory in the city in 1945. Mr Southwell's family say that the medal was stolen, and that they want it back. A Leicester Mercury investigation found the medal had passed through several auctions before being put up for sale as part of a collection of medals. "The family say the events happened nearly 60 years ago and the medal has been through several auctions since then. It was bought in good faith and who in the eyes of the law ends up with ownership, I cannot say." Leicestershire Mail, UK - 30 Jun 2003 |
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Teenage hero gets bravery medal A 19-year-old soldier has become one of the youngest servicemen to receive The George Cross. Trooper Christopher Finney, who saved a comrade under so-called friendly fire in Iraq, said he was "overwhelmed" after being decorated by the Queen. Trooper Finney with Lance Corporal Tudball, the man he saved. BBC 25 Feb 04 |
Harry Errington, GC Harry Errington was the master cutter for a Savile Row tailor by day and a fireman by night. During a raid on London in early 1941, he and two other auxiliary firemen had taken temporary shelter in the basement of a building only for it to receive a direct hit. Errington was initially stunned but, on recovering his senses, he found the rooms above on fire and his two comrades trapped beneath the debris of the partly fallen ground floor. He had no tools beyond a fireman’s axe but set to work to dig out the two men with his bare hands. The task appeared near hopeless and he was driven back by the heat of the fire above, before he was able to free either of them. Finding and soaking a blanket, he wrapped it round his head and shoulders and returned to heaving the debris aside while the building creaked and groaned above him as the fire took a fiercer hold. Freeing his comrades at last, he turned to the stone stairway which — though filled with smoke — led to the relative safety of the street. Neither man could stand, much less walk, so Errington dragged each of them to the foot of the stairway, then carried them in turn on his back up the stairway and clear of the burning building. All three recovered, miraculously sustaining no serious burns or injury. The two trapped by the fallen debris would have been burnt or crushed to death but for Errington’s persistent and courageous determination to free them, despite the risk to his own life. One of the men saved was a solicitor who, as Sir John Terry, served as managing director of the National Film Finance Corporation 1958-78. For his gallantry in saving the lives of his two comrades, Harry Errington was awarded the George Cross in August 1941. timesonline.co.uk 17 Dec 04
Death of flood hero will help victims of tsunami A hero who tried to save people from the terrible Holmfirth Flood of 1944 has died - but his death will still help others. Geoffrey Riley, 75, of Holmbridge, was awarded the Albert Medal - later superseded by the George Cross - after diving into flood waters to bravely try to rescue a woman. Now, Mr Riley's family want people to mark his death - by giving money to the tsunami victims in Asia. ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk 21 Jan 05
Battling the bombers: Paying the price It is the most decorated unit in the British Army - but 321 EOD Squadron has paid a heavy price in Northern Ireland. Twenty brave bomb disposal officers have been killed in action, since the start of the troubles. The worst year for 321 EOD was 1972, when six officers were killed. For the unit, which never had more than 100 officers on the ground, the casualty rate was simply unsustainable. The Army calculated that the chances of a bomb disposal officer being killed were one in every 23 four-month tours, compared to one in every 1,142 tours for other military operational duties. Since 1970, Ammunition Technical Officers (ATOs) from 321 EOD have answered 54,000 call-outs in Northern Ireland, an average of one every six hours. And the record of gallantry in Northern Ireland is headed by two George Crosses, 36 George Medals, 75 Queen's Gallantry Medals. sundaylife.co.uk 24 Apr 05
Murdered Policeman 'Should Get Gallantry Award' Heroic policeman Stephen Oake who was murdered by an al Qaida terrorist should be awarded the George Cross – the highest award for civilian gallantry, the Police Federation said. The Special Branch Officer was stabbed to death trying to prevent Kamel Bourgass escaping from a Manchester flat. His bravery not only saved the lives of several of his colleagues but potentially hundreds of people, who Bourgass was plotting to kill with the deadly poison ricin. news.scotsman,.com 16 Apr 05
MP condemns police award decision A Conservative MP has criticised a decision not to give a posthumous gallantry award to a policeman murdered in Manchester by a terror suspect. Det Con Stephen Oake, from Poynton in Cheshire, was stabbed to death in an anti-terrorism raid in January 2003. Sir Nicholas Winterton said he "deeply regretted" the decision by the Cabinet Office's George Cross Committee. In a Commons early day motion, Sir Nicholas (MP for Macclesfield) said on Wednesday the decision not to make the award had been received with "disappointment and sadness" by Det Con Oake's family. news.bbc.co.uk 1 Mar 06
Police slam decision to deny dead officer bravery award Pplice chiefs said they were sickened by a government decision not to give a posthumous bravery award to officer Stephen Oake. Special Branch Officer DC Oake, 40, was killed in Manchester, in January 2003, during an anti-terrorist raid on a flat after going to the aid of other officers. But he was judged not suitable for one of the top civilian bravery accolades. Greater Manchester Police nominated him for the George Cross, the highest civilian award for gallantry. However, it said the Cabinet Office's George Cross Committee, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, rejected the application. Dc Oake was also ruled ineligible for the George Medal, the second most prestigious civilian honour, and the Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry. news.scotsman.com 16 Feb 06
Morning press briefing from 16 February 2006 DC Oake number-10.gov.uk 16 Feb 06
Oake medal refusal 'insult' claim Refusing a posthumous George Cross to murdered Special Branch officer Stephen Oake is an insult to his memory, Home Secretary John Reid has been told. It was also an affront to all officers, Police Federation chairman Jan Berry told 1,000 officers at the group's annual conference in Bournemouth. She urged Mr Reid, seated alongside her, to press for the highest civilian accolade for Dc Oake, who died aged 40. He was fatally stabbed during an anti- terrorism raid at Manchester in 2003. The George Cross is the civilian equivalent to the Victoria Cross and has not been awarded to a police officer for 30 years. Mr Reid told the conference that awarding the George Cross was not a matter for the home secretary. But he added: "I intend to familiarise myself with this at the earliest opportunity. news.bbc.co.uk 17 May 06
Chairman sends back his medals The chairman of Dorset Police Federation is so incensed at the government's reluctance to honour a murdered police officer with the George Cross that he is returning his two medals to Tony Blair in disgust. Clive Chamberlain says he will no longer feel proud or comfortable wearing the Long Service and Golden Jubilee medal he was awarded for his policing service and has decided to send it to the Prime Minister in protest. DC Stephen Oake was stabbed to death during a counter terrorism raid on a house in Greater Manchester. He was part of a team of officers trying to arrest a man in a raid linked to the discovery of deadly poison ricin in London. Mr Chamberlain says staff in the Home Office have declined to give DC Oake an award in recognition of his bravery and the Prime Minister has refused to ask for a review of the decision. thisisdorset.net 3 Nov o6
